Of course, Windows 11 has a dark mode, so it makes sense for apps to fit into that platform-wide aesthetic. As he has been doing in recent weeks, Microsoft Windows and product chief Panos Panay teased the new MS Paint app on his Twitter account. In the video, we can see the new dark mode and how the design tweaks Microsoft has made results in a smoother Paint app… at least in terms of looks. As I have written before, I am happy Microsoft is not messing around too much with the look and feel of Paint. This is not an ill-fated complete remaining of the experience like Paint 3D was. Instead, Microsoft is making subtle tweaks so Paint looks more at home on Windows 11.
— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) August 18, 2021
New Look
MS Paint has a simpler design with less emphasis on the now aging Ribbon concept. The header is instead based on Microsoft’s Fluent Design. Users still get the familiar “File,” “Edit,” and other options. The header is also where you will find the icons for common Paint tasks. Panay’s teaser does not show layer options for the new Paint. It is unclear whether layers have been remove, which would be a mistake, or just this video does not show how to access them. That is at least one more reason to keep a close eye on this new MS Paint in the lead up to Windows 11’s launch. Tip of the day: Thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) you can run complete Linux distributions within Windows 10. In our tutorial, we show you how to install Ubuntu or other Linux packages and how to activate the bash shell.
